The Alternate Beginning
by M. C
Summary: An AU take on #54 - Rachel lives this time around. R&R appreciated.
1. Chapter 1

**Alternate Beginning**

By M.C.

Disclaimer:** _I make no money or claim ownership of the Animorphs book series, they belong to K.A. Applegate, her husband Michael Grant and the folks at Scholastic. I'm just borrowing the characters for a non-profit story._**

Foreword: _I've had this idea percolating in my head since the last book came out in 2001, and my first big return to fanfic. I wasn't satisfied with the finale when it first came out, but during the years I've gotten to liking it. But I kept wondering how Rachel would've dealt with the aftermath of the war ending, as well as the auxiliary Animorphs. The nagging fact that at least 12 of the auxiliary Animorphs were killed on the front lines, but where were the other 3-4? (This will also ignore that the last book implied that ALL of the Auxiliary Animorphs were gone.) This won't be an ongoing series like capnnefir's impressive continuation, just a couple of chapters (in varying POV like Rachel and James). No Kelbrid, no The One or anything like that. Feedback is GREATLY appreciated._

Chapter 1

RACHEL

The second lion charged gamely, leapt and sank its teeth into my left haunch.

Had to take down the Yeerk with the polar bear morph. Had to stop him remorphing. I'd been lucky once, experience had told. But I couldn't count on a second easy win against a polar bear.

I tried to stagger forward, but the buffalo had done some damage now. My hindquarters were numb and weak. He was hitting me with short, sharp blows, like a boxer rabbit-punching. He'd figured out that he couldn't really wind up and deliver a killing blow.

RRRROOOOAAARR!

A lion's roar is hard to ignore, but in the confines of the Blade Ship, the deep, throaty vibrations were magnified tenfold. The bass alone went through my claws and vibrated my blood-caked fur.

Through my pain-hazed mind, I remembered that two lions were attacking me. And the cape buffalo morph and the Yeerk with the polar bear morph. Then Tom. Why would they stop in mid-battle to roar?

Wait. Wait a minute. Two _lionesses _were the Yeerks. Where did the male lion come from?

Was this Tom? Did he outsmart us?

No. Even the morphs had turned to see this new arrival.

I felt the breath leave my grizzly body. It couldn't be true.

[James!] Jake cried through the monitor.

Without further preamble, the lion leapt over the console and landed on the demorphed Yeerk, who was remorphing to polar bear. In midmorph, the Yeerk was helpless as James pinned the half-human body to the ground and tore his throat out.

Two Yeerks down, several more to go.

[Rachel!] Jake cried out. [Don't forget Tom!]

Enraged by the death of one of their own, the two lionesses forgot me and swarmed onto James. One leapt and bit at James' neck, while the other attacked his flank.

Before I could turn around and help James out, the cape buffalo began attacking me again with short, sharp butts to my bear midsection. The momentary distraction brought by James' arrival had got me in front of one console. In my weakened state, the sharp head butts against the hard, alien metal had crushed a few ribs and my back wasn't faring well either.

But then I realized James had brought backup. A familiar crocodile surged from under the console I had been hiding behind before I attacked.

Collette.

With ungainly but swift crocodile agility, she latched onto the right rear leg of the buffalo and what seemed to be almost no effort, pulled the buffalo away from me. The distraction allowed to get in a few good licks to the buffalo's head and neck, before I let Collette finish him off. After Collette delivered three sharp head shakes, worrying the buffalo around like a dog's stuffed toy, the buffalo crumpled to the floor. Without a word, she went to the lionesses attacking James. As I watched, a newly morphed bobcat joined her: Timmy.

[He's morphing, Rachel!] Tobias called out from the viewing screen. [Tom!]

[Got it,] I turned towards my prey, who was slowly morphing to cobra. Scales were popping out from his bloody skin, and his arms and legs were starting to wither away. But he was still mostly human.

[You're finished, Yeerk,] I growled.

"Kill me cuz," he spat out through bloody teeth. "That's what Killer Jake sent you to do, right? Kill me because he doesn't have the balls to do it himself."

[No.]

"Then what?"

[This.] I slammed one of my grizzly paws against his head. The Controller collapsed like a sack of potatoes.

It wasn't fatal, I had retracted my claws and I wasn't using all of my bear strength. It was the technique I perfected with this morph many times before: the love tap. Tom was going to be out for an hour or so.

I turned towards the other side of the room. James, Timmy and Collette had finished off the remaining morph-capable Yeerks and were licking their battle wounds.

[Good work guys,] I said. [Secure the Blade Ship. Make sure Tom didn't have any more of his buddies behind as backup. If the Yeerk pool is unguarded, lock it up or something.]

[Got it,] Timmy bounded from the bridge, with James leading the rear. Collette stayed behind to watch my back, as I turned back towards Tom's unconscious form.

[All right, Yeerk,] I snapped. [I know you're still there, and I know you can hear me, so listen up. You exit Tom right now, and if you don't come out in one minute, I'll cut in and get you myself.]

I began demorphing, feeling the battle wounds melt away with my bear fur. As my human form emerged unhurt from the grizzly, I let out a huge sigh of relief. The tide had finally turned and the battle was almost completely over. Despite the imminent victory, thoughts raced through my head. How did James and the auxiliary Animorphs know about Jake's plan to kill Tom? Why would James' group do it, and send the rest of their teammates out to die?

Whoever's doing for watching my back, I was inwardly grateful for. As I pondered the 'what if' scenario, I realized that I could've killed Tom. He was a Yeerk, I was an Animorph, one of the good guys. It seemed so clear cut, black and white.

But would my teammates look at me the same way again? That I, one of their own, would willingly kill the leader's brother, who was the enemy. Could I live with that knowledge for the rest of my life? As I mulled my history with the Yeerks plus the Ellimist, Crayak and the Drode - the immediate answer came to mind: Yes.

My reverie was broken as James, fully demorphed, along with a still-morphed Timmy, return to the bridge.

"Well, no more morph-capable Yeerks on the ship, but plenty of their friends in the pool." James replied. He pulled a very familiar object out of his pocket. "We found this. Guess they were going to make more of their kind."

I took the morphing cube from James. "Thanks." I then noticed Tom's Yeerk crawling out of his host's ear. "Could you find me something small to keep this guy in? I don't want to take any chances of him escaping."

"Got it." James rooted around in several consoles before finding a glass Mason jar with a screw-on lid. I gingerly took the Yeerk and quickly transferred him into the jar, and James made sure to screw the top on nice and tight.

"Good." I finally turned my attention back to the viewing screen. Things had changed during our scuffle with Tom's crew: I saw Visser One's crumpled body on the floor and that Jake, Marco, and Cassie had demorphed. Tobias had morphed to human, while Ax looked out of it. Relieved, but out of it.

Jake nodded, a smile of relief gracing his dark eyes. "You did well, Rachel."

"As well as can be expected," I yawned, and nearly slipped on the half-morphed polar bear's blood. "So what now?"

Jake's lips thinned. "We contact the Andalite fleet."

"With a working Blade Ship?" I asked skeptically. "The fleet wouldn't hesitate to fire upon us. You know how these guys are - shoot first, ask questions later."

[My _people_ are not like that,] Ax cut in.

I rolled my eyes. "Fine, the Andalite Electorate then."

A familiar, yet different thought-speak voice cut in. [Dock with the Pool ship, and say you'll surrender both the Pool and Blade Ships to them.] As I viewed the monitor, I could see Visser One's former host body climb to a standing position and survey the area through his own eyes.

Alloran-Semitur-Corass. Host body to Visser Three-turned-One, and the Andalite who had perpetrated the deadly virus on the Hork-Bajir homeworld. But the evil that emanated from him, along with the pompous attitude, was gone. Just a regular, uninfested Andalite.

I cocked an eyebrow at Jake. "Should we trust him?"

Jake shrugged. "We gave Visser One an ultimatum: have him leave the host body or we go in and cut him out. He chose the less painful route."

I smiled. "Good minds think alike."

"We have Visser One in a briefcase," Marco piped up, his mouth full with chocolate chip cookies. Tobias held up a locked briefcase for our view.

"Okay…" I looked around the bridge. The other two auxiliary Animorphs had demorphed, and looking at James for orders. James, in turn, was looking at me. Or more precisely, at the viewing monitor at Jake.

I turned back to the monitor. "So we dock with the Pool ship, no biggie. Problem is, I have limited experience with flying alien ships. Remember that private jet?"

Marco snorted. "Yeah, that wasn't the brightest idea you had."

Cassie allowed a smile. "Flashy, but yeah, I wouldn't recommend flight school now."

Alloran cut in. [You won't have to manually operate the controls. The Blade Ship is a much more sophisticated design. Just tell the computer to dock with the Pool ship, and since you three are in control of it, it will follow your commands.]

"Very well. Computer, dock the Blade Ship with the Pool ship. Disable all weapons," I ordered.

After some heated discussion with a stuck-up Andalite officer, and some destroyed Bug fighters later, the war was officially over.


	2. Chapter 2: James

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own Animorphs, they're owned by K.A. Applegate, her husband and Scholastic. I'm having fun with the characters, but I don't own them either._

**Foreword:** _Thank you to those who've kindly provided feedback, it does help with writing future chapters. Sarah1281, you've definitely given me a great idea (and questions that need answering) for who will narrate the fourth chapter, which will certainly be Jake. I don't have #53 with me right now, as I would've written a bridge scene that answered how James knew about it. When I get to that pivotal scene, I want to make sure it feels canon (as I used part of #54 before doing my own thing in the first chapter). Rachel or Tobias will narrate chapter 3._

Chapter 2

JAMES

_Six months later..._

In what seemed like no time, I was plucked from the boredom and limitations of living out the rest of my life in a wheelchair, to being second-in-command of a human guerilla team to take out an alien invasion. Then in the space of a few weeks, the battle was over.

It was hard to take in, all at once. The morphing power. My completely healthy body, repaired from this alien technology. The numerous battles and skirmishes, culminating in the final battle upon the Blade Ship.

But what was the hardest to comprehend was that most of the people under my command were gone. Killed during that ground diversion with General Doubleday's troops to keep Visser One from realizing that the veteran Animorphs were already on the Pool Ship. Killed because they knew they were fighting a war where many lives would be lost, instead of staying behind and relatively safe in a hospital ward. Murdered while me and two others decided to back Rachel up.

Everyone I recruited from the hospital accepted the morphing power, not just for what was at stake, but it meant immediate independence from hospital care whenever the war ended. Freedom that they wouldn't have achieved any other way. Even for the majority of them that remained disabled, they wouldn't need to rely on others ever again. And for some, like Judy and Liam, being granted this power held even more meaning for them. It allowed them to prove that they were worth something, and accepted the terms like any faithful U.S. soldier conscripted into battle.

And now, over 90% of those soldiers and friends were gone. I kept thinking and mulling over whether I should've joined them, let alone offer to back Rachel up. Jake's plan to send Rachel out, on her own, to kill Jake's primary reason for winning this war, made ruthless sense in one aspect. I'd seen Rachel's ruthlessness and gung-ho battle attitude firsthand, especially when I was first drafted. But the way I saw it, Jake saw Rachel as an assassin to achieve his needs - and the family/soldier dynamic between the six original Animorphs was very strong. How **_could_** a cousin ask his relative to murder his brother? There _had_ to have been another way.

After we had docked the Blade Ship with the helpless Pool Ship, Jake and Ax had appointed liaisons with the Andalite high command and the Andalite people directly. After some heated arguments with some snotty Andalite named Asculan and one 'challenge' later, Ax and Jake were given three additional morphing cubes and Ax was elevated to War-Prince status.

After that was taken care of, all of us headed to Washington, D.C.. Ax and Jake had called and told the President and Congress that we were going to arrive prior, and it seemed like every news station and cable news reporters were on site to record every moment of it. Not that they didn't already know about us beforehand.

For me, it felt awkward being ignored a few weeks prior and now being the focus of attention alongside the more experienced Animorphs. As I watched Jake give some brief statements during the press conference, I couldn't help but recall that day I first met Jake and the rest of the Animorphs. How the first words out my mouth to him were "Well, who's the show around here? Us or you?" It felt strangely karmic, as how the shoe was on the other foot this time.

A few hours after that, we learned a few Yeerk fleets were given the order from the Council of Thirteen and the home world itself to attack. Fortunately, few did while the majority surrendered. Alloran, Rachel and Ax personally oversaw the final attack and overthrew the Council itself. Without the Council to oversee their vissers and sub-vissers the Yeerks had no authority to answer to, which worked to our advantage.

Once we had all the Yeerks in their original state, Cassie presented four permanent morph options for them: Vaquita porpoise, red wolf, merlin, or the dhole (the latter is related to the canine family). All four offered up excellent sight, power and mobility. Not to mention three out of the four animals were endangered, and the amount of _nothlit_ Yeerks would help ease up the endangered species list (most of them opted to morph the wolf or merlin). And as promised, the Taxxons also received the morphing ability, permanently morphed to anaconda and were relocated to the Amazon rain forests. Both the former Taxxons and Yeerks also ended up being protected by Oceania and Brazilian law, as well as hefty UN payments.

A few days after the 'clean-up' effort to make sure the Yeerk war was permanently over, a big ceremony was held at the Profound Children's Hospital in Sacramento, where I lived for those ten years. Timmy, Collette, and I were the focus of the event and were granted awards from the President as well as awards from every developed nation in the world (which was quite a lot). A memorial was also conducted for those thirteen Animorphs who lost their lives during the ground siege that fateful night, with family members and close friends in attendance. A dozen Andalite warriors were there, as were most of the older Animorphs to pay their respects to the fallen.

During the first few weeks after the war ended, members of the press constantly grouped me in with the older six Animorphs. And cable news shows, from "The O'Reilly Factor" to "The Rachel Maddow Show", were endlessly debating the merits of this group recruiting disabled kids to add to their numbers. Some even had the audacity to imply Jake didn't think it over and the moral implications it had (especially when they learned most of my people were killed during the ground fire diversion). I made many TV appearances to clear things up, but I was constantly reminded of my rookie status and that I wasn't disabled anymore. No one can believe how frustrating that is.

I wasn't going to abandon the family that I cultivated during my years at the hospital, and be grouped among the original Animorphs as semi-permanent fixtures in the public eye. (It was even worse because the invasion happened in Culver City, which isn't far from Los Angeles, the home for paparazzi and yellow journalism galore.) I decided to pack up and leave California altogether with Timmy and Pedro in tow. A change of pace and a lot less media attention would be nice, especially after the war.

Collette also had the same idea. Immediately following the war, her older brother and his wife had returned from their overseas deployment to South Korea, on special orders from the U.S. government. Even though the morphing power gave Collette the independence needed for self-sufficiency, she was nonetheless thrilled with her brother's safe return. Per Collette's need to stay out the public eye (like me), she, her brother and his wife were now permanently stationed at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

It was all the way across the country, but North Carolina seemed like an ideal place for a fresh start. The money I amassed with my various public appearances, plus the rights Hollywood paid for my life story, was more than enough to set me, Timmy and Pedro for life. In fact, the money was so good, we actually settled in a quaint seaside town called Southport, in the perfect spot. Where we live at is just a short walk from the sidewalk and the fishing pier amidst a glorious view of the ocean and Cape Hatteras beyond. Still, it didn't mean we couldn't contact Collette or stay in touch with her. Fayetteville was only half an hour away via bird morph, and vice versa.

Speaking of morphs, I was finally able to give Pedro what he always wanted: two hours of freedom. He wasn't capable of showing much emotion (or reaction) in his regular state, but when he got the morphing power, the joy he had of finally being able to move around and talk was infectious. He'd entertained the thought of making a specialized human morph and staying in it permanently, but I shot that down with, "You think how freeing it is walking without a wheelchair? Flying around as a bird is so much more. You'd be stuck."

As for Timmy, he had moved on emotionally. Given our newfound celebrity status as Animorphs, he used a portion of his money to purchase various Stephen Sondheim CDs and taped performances of said musicals. He uses a custom 'regular' human morph to avoid the debilitating effects of his dyskinetic cerebral palsy, just for the simple joy of singing and dancing along. But he'd always keep a watch on his wrist with a two hour timer that would go off five minutes before it was up, as a reminder to demorph. I'd swear Timmy wouldn't mind being stuck as a non-disabled human if he could still morph a pigeon and bobcat.

Even with the amenities, the laid-back small town location, and our financial independence, it just wasn't the same. Not that I missed our period of battling Yeerk invaders, it changed our lives for the better. But I missed the companionship of my fellow Animorphs. Not the ones that enlisted me, although we regularly keep in contact. But the many friends I made before them, like Kelly, Craig, and Erica.

Most of them, gone.

The burden and grief eventually subsided after a while, and I constantly remind myself how lucky I am to still have a surviving few friends along with new ones. Yet with our idyllic lifestyle, it felt almost too perfect. Too quaint.

_What am I supposed to do?_ I pondered to myself. _You have Pedro, Timmy and Collette. We're all financially set for life, and enjoying a quiet, low-key life now._ What else was going to keep me busy? Sit on the porch everyday and spend the hours enjoying the sea breeze and beautiful sunny skies now? No, that wasn't me. Travel the world and see new places? Even though we could do that now, we'd get mobbed everywhere we went. Even if we morphed and traveled in secret, we would get recognized eventually.

I whiled my time with enrolling in local karate classes, something that I wanted to do for years but couldn't until now. It felt good to have something to focus on, make mistakes and enjoy improving my techniques and poise. I wasn't too worried about leaving Pedro and Timmy behind at the house, since they could take care of themselves now. Close friends need their space too.

I also took some minor roles in film and TV productions shooting in Southport and nearby Wilmington, just to keep myself occupied. Marco's mutant superhero show also filmed in Wilmington during the summer and fall, and he would always try to get me for a supporting role and meet the cute young starlet he was dating at the time. It's not that he's not a nice guy, but he was trying too hard to make friends with people he wasn't too familiar with during the war. Trying to amend for past mistakes, or trying to keep his public interested in him (since it's pretty publicized how distant we got from the older Animorphs after the war).

But here I was on a hot, humid August day sitting on the porch of our house, gently rocking in a high-backed chair and sipping a cold lemonade while watching tourists walk along the shoreline and feeding the seagulls. Pedro and Timmy had morphed dolphin and were out playing in the nearby surf, which meant I had the house to myself for a good hour. For all my wanting to go out and kill time, sometimes it's nice having the ability to just sit back, relax, and enjoy the sunshine once in a while.

As I watched, a huge flock of seagulls descended on a half-eaten hamburger someone had tossed to them. Two seagulls broke off from the crowd and swooped towards my house, almost leisurely. As they closed in on my house, they lifted their wings and made a perfect landing on the porch railing.

I cocked an eyebrow. Very rarely does a regular seagull fly on my railing, unless food was involved. But I had a strong feeling who these two were.

"Hi guys."

[Hi James,] a familiar thought-speak voice popped into my head.

"Cassie, how are you?"

[Good.]

[Never expected you to be living a life of leisure,] the other seagull commented.

"Leisure, Rachel? Me? I'm just taking a break." I took my empty glass and got up from the chair. As I pulled the front door open, I held it ajar. "You can come in, demorph and get yourselves a drink."

Cassie and Rachel flew in the house. As soon as I came in and locked the door, they promptly demorphed in the living room. I noticed with some amusement how Rachel's morphing outfit was a new designer leotard (probably custom made by Victoria's Secret). Cassie's outfit was a newer form-fitting T-shirt and bike shorts, but her hair was grown out and styled. Rachel had finally wrangled her into a long-awaited makeover, which did wonders for Cassie.

I made my way to the kitchen. "Anything to drink ladies? We've got tea, coffee, Pepsi…"

"Bottle of water is fine," Rachel said.

Cassie nodded. "Same here."

"So what brings you two here?" I asked. I pulled two Dasani bottles out of the fridge and walked back to the living room.

"Marco sent us." Rachel said, taking one bottle.

I handed Cassie the other one. "You two aren't Marco's newest girlfriends, are you? You're not his type."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Funny. He told us where you were, but he didn't send us to do anything for him."

"Ah, so you're looking for _me_." I topped off my lemonade and sat in my recliner. "So what'd you ladies want? If you're looking for a house here, I can recommend a good realtor."

"That's nice James, but we're not here house-hunting," Cassie said. She put her water aside. "We're looking for you."

"Me? So if you're not here on Marco's orders or not sight-seeing, then what?"

Rachel sighed. "We don't know how to break it to you."

That got my attention. "Break what?"

Cassie was hesitant. "Your mom, James," she said quietly. "She's looking for you."


	3. Chapter 3: Tobias

**Disclaimer and brief note:** _First off, I don't own the Animorph characters or situations - K.A. Applegate, her husband and Scholastic own 'em. I make no profit whatsoever from this story. With that out of the way, I deeply apologize for the wait between the first two chapters and this one. I had some ideas for this one, but it just didn't flow out of me like the first two did (believe me, it only took a couple of days for me to write the first two chapters). This chapter took some thrashing out, but I'm fairly pleased with how it came out. As for who will narrate the fourth chapter, I'm stuck between continuing James' thread from chapter 2 or doing Jake's POV. I'll actually let you guys decide in the comments section or shooting me a PM. R&R, feedback is appreciated._

Chapter 3

TOBIAS

_One month earlier…_

"Morning, beautiful." My stubble-laced chin rubbed against the soft neck of the woman lying on the bed. The love of my life.

Rachel.

"Mmmm." She gave a soft moan and turned towards me, a warm but sleepy smile gracing her lips. "'Morning, Tobias."

"Birthday girl's finally up." I turned and picked up a tray I'd set on the nightstand. After Rachel had pulled herself up into a sitting position, I carefully placed the tray in front of her.

She cocked an eyebrow at me. "Should I be worried?"

"Worried? Not in my DNA." I placed a steaming cup of coffee on the tray next to Rachel's scrambled eggs and toast.

Rachel just gave me that look. "Tobias, you can't even cook out of a box properly. These are way too perfect to be from you."

"Geez, Rachel. I've only been human for, what, three months? It takes some getting used to the small things again."

"I'm kidding, Tobias. It's the thought that counts." Rachel picked up the fork and began eating her eggs. "So who _really_ made my breakfast?"

"Pillsbury. Mom followed the directions."

"Got it." Swallowing her mouthful of egg, Rachel began digging into her breakfast proper.

I went into our bathroom and shut the door. Soon I was out of my pajamas and under the blissfully hot spray of a pulsing shower. That one of the things I forgot about (and missed) when I was stuck in the red-tailed hawk. That and the tense of taste.

It took a lot of soul-searching, after the war ended, what I wanted to do with my life. The life I had pre-Elfangor: being shuffled between a slave-driver aunt and a lazy uncle coupled with a hellish high-school life was thankfully behind me. And now I couldn't live a post-Elfangor life as a hawk. Being part of the Animorphs, my red-tailed hawk is as iconic as Ax, Rachel, Cassie, Marco and Jake were now. My presence encouraged bird-watchers galore to flock to California and spot every 'Tobias' they saw, while late talk-show hosts like Leno and Letterman cracked jokes about how Rachel and I could 'consummate' our relationship.

Thrown in the mix was my newfound mother Loren, who we rescued just prior to our identities discovered by the Yeerks, and Rachel, who I really didn't get close to until after I turned _nothlit_ permanently. After the Ellimist granted me my morphing powers, but left me as a hawk, I could live a sort of double life. My outings with Rachel in human morph were normal 'dates' as we could manage during the war, while during my 'true' hawk form we were in Animorph mode even when riding the thermals. I thought I could handle a double life, but that changed as soon as I found my mom.

After some jarring, press-heavy weeks after the war (plus numerous hours of soul-searching), my decision was made. Even though Mom still had amnesia, it meant we could start over in a sense. Forge happier memories and continue on. I relished the sharper eyesight, restored morphing power, and flying in my adopted form. But birds could only live for so long. I'd be stuck again, only in my human form. A catch-22 if you would.

* * *

><p>"Morning, Tobias." Cassie smiled as she filed past me in the library lounge, papers in hand.<p>

"Morning, Cass." I put my bag down by the couch, and snagged a clean mug from the cabinet. From the full coffee pot brewing by the sink, it had just perked. I turned around to see Cassie, who was stuffing the papers into a manila folder.

I had to say, I had to marvel at Cassie's post-war path. Not only did she have a part-time government job as co-supervisor and spokesperson for the U.S. Hork-Bajir sanctuary, but she was constantly jetting to California and Seattle between that and college work. (Toby was other co-supervisor, being the current living Seer in the Hork-Bajir community.) I had to admire Cassie's tenacity and dedication to her work. But what took me surprise was her new look.

I quirked my eyebrows, as it had been a few months since I had last seen her. Her hair (which used to be cropped short) was now wavy and noticeably longer. I guess she was tired of people asking her for autographs, so she decided to grow out her hair to throw people off. That or Rachel wrestled her into doing it (which I doubted).

"You look good." I said, checking the coffee pot. Still pretty hot, and I carefully eased it out.

"The hair?" She smoothed a hand over her smooth, sleek locks. "Well, it's just a temporary thing. After all these years fighting the Yeerks, I figure I need to shake things up a bit. Try something new."

"Didn't you tell Jake that you wanted to become a doctor? Or a vet?"

Cassie fidgeted. "People change their minds, we did that all the time during the war. You know, my parents have been bugging me to write a tell-all autobiography." She sighed and turned back to her folder. "I'm not ready to spill my guts out to the world like that."

"It's not like we haven't spilt our guts out before, but we're all right now." I said, taking a packet of sugar.

"Uh… sorta." Cassie shifted uncomfortably. "So, how's Rachel doing? You know, birthday-wise?" She hedged, putting her folder down and checking her watch. Satisfied, she sank down and took a seat at the table in relief.

"Well, Rachel hasn't taken my head off today." I filled up my mug halfway. No need to be extra jittery. "Gave her breakfast in bed. She appreciated it."

I carefully sipped at the hot coffee, liking the flavor and temperature. Dark roast, a Seattle's Best Coffee specialty mix.

"I have a hard time picturing you, chef extraordinaire, fix anything edible," Cassie smiled.

"Watch what you say about Mom's cooking." I grinned, taking another cautious sip.

Light dawned in Cassie's eyes, and her tone quickly changed. "Anything else in mind? Engagement, dinner and a movie?" she asked pointedly.

"Who are you, Naomi?" I jibed, setting the cup down. "Dinner and a movie is definitely in the cards tonight. What about you?"

Cassie looked surprised. "You've forgotten?"

"Forgotten what?"

"The surprise birthday party." She gave me that patented 'duh' look Marco was capable of on a daily basis.

"No, but it doesn't have to be an all-out extravaganza," I reminded her. "I don't mind that, but 'big party' equals 'big press.' Privacy would be nice."

"It won't be big." Cassie assured me. She glanced at her watch again and sighed. "Gotta go. I'll see you and Rachel later tonight. Marco will call you on where to meet us." She got up, picked up her paperwork, and opened the door.

"Good luck, Professor Evans."

As she walked out of the door Cassie turned back to me, a smile gracing her lips. "You too, Professor Fangor."

* * *

><p>As it turned out, being an impromptu college professor wasn't that bad at all. I hadn't finished high school, let alone gain a Master's degree in Animal Psychology &amp; Biology. However, our newfound celebrity status had opened doors I had never dreamed possible.<p>

Since I had spent a number of years living as a red-tailed hawk for so long, I had a firm grasp of bird society, flight and basically everything attuned to my hawk morph. That innate knowledge, thanks to the morphing technology, was the kind of on-hands experience you couldn't gain from years of Earth-based education.

Cassie and I were lured to the University of Washington in Seattle because it was only a short plane flight back to California, but far enough away from paparazzi or nosy reporters. Plus, even in a fairly big place like Seattle, most people tended to leave you alone. Sure, you get some people asking you for the occasional autograph or picture with you - but most of the time, they respected our space and privacy.

As for why I would become a 'college' professor, I was stuck at a crossroads. I didn't want to become the atypical celebrity/actor that Marco had become - staying in the limelight and public eye just wasn't my style. But I wanted to do something fulfilling that I could pass on to others about my years spent as a hawk, my dual human-Andalite heritage and morphing. Neither did I want preferential treatment - the University of WA was only one of a dozen colleges and universities that agreed to pay me the same rate as any of the tenured faculty. Plus the scenic beauty was incomparable.

As for Rachel, she stuck with me to Seattle not only out of love, but because the place offered up several colleges with fashion design degrees. Thanks to saving the world from the Yeerks, she had finished her high school education at an accelerated rate. Marco joked about her gung-ho attitude would make her a perfect candidate for the Marines after graduating, but that wasn't her style anymore. She wanted to leave the warrior phase of her life behind, and start anew.

Even during our Animorphs period, Rachel was a natural fashionista. She always knew what to wear, what fashions were 'in', and had a great sense of picking out outfits for us to wear. It seemed like a no-brainer, and after some intense debate, she agreed to try it. After accepting an invite from the Art Institutes, she threw herself into her studies with the drive I've only seen her while she was in battle. It was definitely a change for the better.

Speaking of changes, being human permanently definitely had its perks. It was nice going to sleep in a warm bed after spending all those years perched in a tree outside with one eye open. Even nicer not having to hunt for your breakfast every morning, and using hands to write, read and carry things heavier than scaly bird legs could. Being a human _nothlit _allowed me to rediscover the joys of being human again, but not being able to fly was the biggest detractor, right after the morphing. Soaring high above the sky, and using the pockets of warm thermals to glide high above with hardly any flapping… I missed that more than anything. What I wouldn't give to see the Seattle Needle or the Puget Sound with my hawk eyes!

But being human allowed me to reconnect with the others. Not just Rachel and Mom, but there was a definite, changed closeness I felt with the other Animorphs too.

Except one.

* * *

><p>"C'mon, Tobias, where are we at?" Rachel growled playfully as I awkwardly pulled her out of the car and made our way to Mario's, one of the best Italian restaurants this side of Seattle.<p>

"You'll know soon enough. Hey hey, no peeking!" I admonished, pushing down the black blindfold back down over her eyes as we walked to the entrance. "It won't be a surprise if you peek."

"You can't fool me, Tobias," she sniffed. "It doesn't take a genius to figure out we're at Mario's."

I sighed heavily, pulling the doors open and guiding her to the section reserved for private parties. "There's no fooling you, is it?"

"Not when I've mor-" Rachel was cut off as I pulled the cloth away from her eyes. Over a dozen people were sitting at the lengthy table I'd reserved for her birthday celebration, and a big chocolate cake sat on a side table along with a pile of gifts.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Rachel gasped in surprise as the lights snapped on, revealing her party guests. People like Cassie, my mom, plus some of Rachel's friends like Melissa Chapman and ones she made at the Institutes were there. Others we hadn't seen for a while, like Jake, Tom, and Marco. Plus Rachel's sisters, her mom and her dad were there too. But what really took her (and me) aback was the arrival of someone unexpected, his blue fur gleaming brightly.

Ax!

"Ax, what are you doing here?" I made my way around the table and enfolded his upper body in a deep hug. "It's great seeing you, man. Haven't heard much from you these days."

[Being a war prince has had its advantages,] Ax replied as he weakly returned my hug. [And many disadvantages.]

"How is Mertil these days?"

[He is, as you say, "hanging in there." Physically, he is fine but his hearts still grieve for Gafinilan. He's getting used to being co-ambassador for the Andalite homeworld, though.]

"Score one for _vecol_ equality. Speaking of ambassadors, what about Toby?"

[Toby and her people love it back in Yellowstone. She sends her best wishes to you and wants to know when you'll visit again.]

I felt a pit grow in my stomach. I had briefly visited Yellowstone two times right after the war. The first time was the inaugural ground-breaking ceremony and re-christening as a Hork-Bajir sanctuary, while the second was just a quick visit to see how Toby and her family was doing. After I turned human _nothlit_, I was so wrapped up in re-establishing a human life and my job that I forgotten about Toby up until I saw Ax. I don't think Ax had told her about my decision either, but she probably knew with the press coverage and all.

I forced a smile on my lips. "Ax, tell her I'll see her in a few weeks. There's some vacation time coming up and that'll give us time to re-open the communication channels."

[Very well,] Ax turned back to the table, where Rachel was expectantly waiting for us. But he said nothing more to me and just looked at the guest of honor at the head of the table.

"Sorry Rach," I smiled apologetically. "I believe this was _your_ party."

* * *

><p>As the party wound down, thoughts were whirling through my brain. Ax seemed… cold and distant. To a degree, most male Andalites are like that out of principle, but this was different. Even then he would focus on something else during the lull, with all four eyes gazing elsewhere. What had I done to him? I was his <em>shorm<em>. We could talk to each other about anything, a bond even closer than mine and Rachel's.

I had to talk to him. Alone.

"Ax!" I waved to him. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Ax looked affronted. [It's not urgent.]

"It is. We'll go outside."

[It can wait.]

I knew he was stalling. "No, Ax. We need to talk."

He scoffed the floor with his front hoof. He didn't say anything else, but he followed me anyway. As the front doors shut with a soft thud, I turned to him.

[Tobias, I-]

"Save it," I cut him off. "Why aren't you talking to me? Seems like since I became human again, I'm persona non grata to you. Like I'm a complete stranger."

[You think that because you're _nothlit_ again, you can just go back to the way things were? Before you met my brother?]

"No, that's not it Ax." I turned away from him, looking at the sun descending behind the skyline. "I've started a new chapter in my life."

[You want to pretend this never happened? You want to pretend that your father wasn't an alien?]

"No, Ax, you don't understand!" I turned around, my face getting flushed with anger and impatience. Anger at his accusatory tone. Angry at what he was implying. "I can't forget my past as a hawk, as your _shorm_, and as an Animorph. Not even if I wanted to. It's a part of me, in my blood. Still is."

Ax said nothing. His main eyes bored through me, almost like I wasn't there.

I continued. "Do you think before Elfangor, I wanted to stay in my living hell of a life? Being shared between a slave-driver aunt and a lazy ass uncle?"

I took a deep breath and composed myself. "Look Ax, I _know _what you're saying. I can't become Andalite, take part in morning rituals, fight or even fly around as a hawk any more. But I didn't do this to spite you or Elfangor's legacy."

[But you've lost my brother's gift,] Ax countered.

I shook my head. "I've traded it for a better one. I just can't spend the rest of my life as a hawk. The war's over and I need to move on. Tell me, Ax, if you were in a similar position… would you stay an Andalite in order to be with your mom and your girlfriend? Or would you stay as a _nothlit_ with morphing abilities?"

[I…] Ax had no words for that.

"Think about it," I turned to go back inside the restaurant. "If you want to talk, you know where to find me."


End file.
